Building wall construction



May 8, 1951 P. sATTERLEE BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 12, 1946 Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED 4STATES PATENTy OFFICE BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION Percy Satterlee, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,473

(Cl. Y2-118) 8 Claims. l

This invention relates to building constructions, and in particular to means for supporting wall board, gypsum lath, composition boards or the like to ceiling or wall furring, studs or joists.

One object of this invent-ion is to provide means for attaching composition boards or lath to ceiling or wall furring, studs or joists which is easily installed by unskilled or semi-skilled Workmen and which strongly supports the boards or laths, prevents warping and sagging, and yet `permits slight relative movement in order to prevent the formation of cracks in the plaster which is applied over the boards or lath.

Another object is to provide means for attaching composition boards or lath, as set forth in the preceding object, wherein a system of variously bent rods is used for supporting the boards or lath from the channel furring, studs or joists, certain of these rods being hooked over the channels and overlapping the lath boards while others are installed either between the long edges of the boards or between abutting ends thereof.

Another object is to provide means .for attaching composition boards or lath, as set forth in the preceding object, wherein the `rods after installation are tied to the channel furring or other structural members by means of lwires or wire loops which are maintained loose during the installation oi the beards and are afterward tightened to secure vthe vboards in position.

Another object is to provide a starter rod for initiating the installation of lath or Wall board, this starter rod having a ylength sunicient .to overlap several boards and having a bent end-adapted to be hooked over or around a Wall .or ceiling frame member, the emergent end being bent parallel to the rod itself, thereby preventing turning over of the rod.

Another object is to provide a eld clip for aligning, interconnecting and supporting longitudinal edges or sides of such boards when so installed, the clip consisting of a rod bent to form a pair of legs interconnected by a bridge portion bent at an angle thereto.

Another object is to provide a border clip for aligning, interconnecting and supporting the abutting ends of such boards when so installed,

this clip consisting of a rod bent to form parallel legs having parallel portions bent at right angles thereto, these parallel portions being in turn interconnected by a bridge portion reversely bent at an angle thereto.

Another object is to provide a building structure for supporting such boards against building frame structural members Such as furring, studs or joists and employing the starter rods, field clips and border `clips .as set forth .in the three preceding objects, these rod members having their leg portions engaging Vopposite sides of the boards and their bridge portions .extending through the .cracks therebetween, the rods Ybeing secured in position by wire loops likewise .extending through the cracks and twisted to tighten them after installation.

Another .object is vto provide rod members as set forth vin the preceding .objects which .are adaptable to interconnect and vsupport .the sides or edges of such boards which overhang the fur: ring, studs-or joists to which they are attached, -the'se rod members giving additional support and preventing `warping or sagging.

Other objects and advantagesof Vthe invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view Alooking upward into the corner of an interior building wall structure, showing 4lath boards supported and secured to the `furring channels according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a prespective vieweof a-starter rod used in the building structure shown inrFigure l;

Figure 3 is a perspective -view of 4a field clip used in the buildingstructure of Figure 1 Figure 4 is la perspective vView of a border clip used in the 'building structure of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentaryfront elevation of a portion o i an linterior wall showing the manner of-using a pair of borderc'lips for supporting and interconnecting the abutting ends of boards having a great overhang Vbeyond their respective structural supports; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of La portion of an interiorwall showing the manner of using a pair of'leld clips for supporting and n interconnecting'the abutting ends of boards naving a great overhang beyond their respective structural supports.

Referring to the .drawings in detail, Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the rod-like devices o r elements employed in securing the Wall Aboards or composition lath to the wall and ceiling k.structure shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows a starter rod, generally designated I0,.and consisting ofan .elongated rod or leg portion .|.I Of sucient length .to-overlap the widths of severalsuch boards. The rod or leg portion YIl is bent atoneend to provide a hook portion l2 having` arms 1 3, `Ul and I5 and a short leg I6 emerging parallel to the long leg Il.

The portions I3, I4 and I5 thus act as a bridge between the short and long legs I6 and II. The hook portion I2 is bent so as to lie in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the leg portions II and I6, the latter serving to prevent twisting or turning of the starter rod Il) as described below.

The field clip, generally designated 20, shown in Figure 3, consists of a pair of parallel leg portions 2I and 22 interconnected by a hook portion 23 consisting of arms 24 and 25 interconnected by a bridge portion 26. The hook portion 23 is bent at such an angle that the portions 24, 25 and 26 lie in a plane` disposed at an acute angle to the' plane of the parallel legs 2l and 22. The legs 2| and 22 are of substantially equal lengths and are of suilicient length to span entirely over the width of one board and engage the adjoiningv boards on opposite sides thereof.

The border clip, generally designated 36, shown in Figure 4, consists of a pair of substantially parallel legs 3l and 32 having a hook portion 33 consisting of arms 34 and 35 bent substantially at right angles to the legs 3l and 32 and having arms 36 and 31 bent at an acute angle to the arms 34 and 35, the arms 36 and 31 being interconnected by a bridge portion 38. Thus the arms 34 and 35 are substantially parallel and lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane containing the legs 3l and 32. The arms 36 and 31 are also substantially parallel and lie in a plane disposed at an acute angle both to the plane containing the arms 34 and 35 and to that of the legs 3I and 32.

Figure 1 shows a building structure employing the members I6, 26 and 30 described above. The building structure consists of spaced parallel metal furring or plasterers channels 46, 4I and 42 respectively for the side walls 43 and 44 and ceiling 45, these being attached to the building framework studs and joists in a conventional manner (not shown) as by wire loops. For the purpose of showing the versatility of the system, the furring channels 4I) of the side wall 43 are shown as arranged vertically and the furring channels 4I of the side Wall 44 are shown as arranged horizontally. It will be understood, however, that either arrangement may be used for any or all of the walls. The corner view shown in Figure 1 also shows the wall boards 46 attached thereto to be of shorter lengths and Widths than is customary, in order to compress the View into a compact space on the drawing. The boards 46 which are attached to the plasterers channels 40, 4I or 42 consist of standard lath board, gypsum lath board or composition wall board, any of which serve as a foundation for supporting the plaster which is subsequently applied and for convenience of description are referred to as boards 46.

The installation of the wall boards 46 may be commenced with either of the walls 43 or 44 or with the ceiling 45. For convenience, the installation will be described as starting with the ceiling 45.

To install the ceiling 45, a plurality of starter rods I are mounted with their hooks I2 hooked over the furring channels 42 and loose wire loops 41 are formed at intervals along the legs Il to support the starter rods I0. Extension rods 48 are employed to lengthen the span of the starter rods I6 and are also supported'by the wire loops 41. With several such starter rods I0 loosely mounted in the above manner, boards 46 are slid endwise into the space between the channels 42 and the rods I0 until they are in position with the loops 41 lying between the side edges of the boards 46. The loops 41 are then tightened by twisting the ends thereof, thereby firmly clamping the boards 46 in position. The short legs I6 on the starter rods I0 prevent the latter from turning or twisting by bearing against the surfaces of the boards 46.

Since the lengths of the boards 46 do not ordinarily correspond to the dimensions of the room, the utilization of the shorter portions thereof results in the ends 49 abutting one another at locations between the channels 42. In order to provide support and alignment for the ends 49, either the eld clips 26 or the border clips 30 may be employed. In the upper part of Figure l, there is shown a field clip 20 so installed, with its legs 2| and 22 lying on opposite sides of the board 46 and spanning over onto the adjacent boards 46 with the bridge portion 26 extending through the crack between the ends 49, and the arms 24 and 25 overlapping the opposite sides of the adjacent boards v46. The field clip 29 is secured in position by wire loops 56 having their ends twisted to tighten them in position. The field clip 20 when so employed, is preferably used where there is only a slight overhang of the end of one board 46 beyond the adjacent channel 42.

Where both ends 49 of abutting boards 46 overhang a considerable distance, such as by coming together midway between the channels 42, the border clip 3B is preferably employed, as shown in the upper middle portion of Figure 1. Here the legs 3l and 32 of the border clip 36 extend across opposite sides of the adjacent boards 46 and are looped together by a wire loop 5I extending through the crack between the side edges of the board 46. The arms 34 and 35 extend transversely across the crack between the ends 43 on opposite sides of the board 46 and the obliquelybent arms 36 and 31 extend back toward the crack so that the bridge portion 38 passes therethrough. Thus, the border clip 36 gives support to both of the abutting ends of the boards 46 and the legs 3l and 32 thereof overlie both sides of an adjacent board 46. The border clip 30, as its name implies, may also be used and preferably is used near the edge or border of a Wall where it cannot overhang because of the ending of the wall at that point. By reason of its reversely bent hook portion 33, it adequately supports the boards and is secured thereto by another wire loop 5| extending through the crack between the boards 46. The wire loops 5I, as before, are tightened when the boards 46 have been inserted and properly lined up. Additional boards 46 are inserted and secured in this manner until the ceiling structure 45 has been completed.

In the installation of the boards 46 to a side wall 43 having Vertical plasterers channels or furring members 49, an analogous procedure is employed to that described in connection with the ceiling 45. The starter rods vI0 are hooked around the channels 40 at their upper ends, and wire loops 41 installed loosely as before. The boards 46 are inserted one by one horizontally into the space between the channels 46 and the legs ll of the starter rods I0 with the short legs I6 overhanging the upper edge of the uppermost board 46. As each board is inserted, a wire loop 41 is placed in a position and tightened when the adjacent board 46 has been placed beside it. The extension rods 48 are employed in the same manner as in the ceiling structure 45 previously described.

Field clips 20 are also installed to intercon- -nect the boards 46 at their side edges, as villustrated in the lower central portion of Figure 1 and previously described in connection with the ceiling 45. Border clips 30 are also used to support and interconnect the abutting ends 49 of the boards 46 as shown in the upper central portion of the side wall 43 in Figure 1 and described previously in connection with the ceiling structure 45. The boards 46 are inserted and secured in this manneruntil the side Wall 43 has been completed.

In the installation of the boards 46 upon the side wall 44 having horizontal plasterers channels or furring members 4|, the foregoing procedure is followed in an analogous manner. Here, however, the starter rods I are hooked over the channels 4| and their legs extend horizontally. The boards 46 are inserted vertically, one by one, and secured in position by means of the wire loops 4l previously referred to, extension rods 48 being used to continue the starter rods Il) entirely across the room. The side edges of the boards 46 are again tied together by the use of the eld clips 29 as shown in the right central portion of Figure 1, their legs 2| and 22 extending over one board 46 completely and overlapping the two adjacent `boards 46 on opposite sides thereof. Figure 1 `shows the eld 'clip 20 as having its bridge portion 26 extending through the crack between the abutting ends 49 of the boards 46 but the field clips may be used as shown on the wall 43 in the center of Figure 1 where no such crack occurs and where the boards are Vcontinuous. The attachment is made in the previously described manner by means of the wire loops 41.

The border clips 36 are also used in the previously described manner for supporting the abutting ends 49 of the boards 46, especially where they occur immediately adjacent the junction of the wall with the adjacent wall or ceiling. The procedure is identical with that described above in connection with theA use of the border clip 39 with the ceiling structure 45 and hence requires no repetition. The bridge portion 38 as before extends through the crack between the ends 49 and the boards and border clip are secured together by the wire loops The side wall 44 is completed by adding boards 46 vertically until the entire expanse of the wall is covered.

When the walls and ceiling have thus been ycompletely covered by the wall boards 46, and the ends of the wire loops 41 and 5| have been tied down by tightening them with further twisting, the projecting twisted ends thereof are bent over so that they lie along the surface of the boards 46 and press tightly against them. The plaster is then applied in the usual manner and by conventional procedure, with corner beads or the like installed, if desired, to pr-otect the angles of the walls or ceiling. Instead of plaster, accoustical tile may be applied after the boards 46 have been thus installed, such as by direct cementing. Any type or thickness of board may be used, and the rod members l, 20 or 30 are selected with their bridge portions i4, 26 or 38 respectively corresponding to these thicknesses.

Where there is an excessively long overhang between the abutting boards 46 (Figure 5), a pair of border clips 30 may be employed to give support at spaced intervals along the ends 49 thereof, the bridge portion 38 as usual extending through the gap between the boards 46. The

border clips are wired in position by the wire loops 5| in the manner previously described. In lieu kof the border clips 3U, a pair of eld clips 2B may be employed in the same situation, as shown in Figure 26. In Figure 6, however, the hook portions 23 engage the side portion of the adjacent board 46 rather than the boards whose ends 49 abut. The field clips 20 are wired together by the wire loops 41 in the manner previously described. The construction shown in either Figure 5 or Figure 6 provides a strong and rigid interconnection between the ends of the boards 45.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 564,224, filed November 2'0, 1944, now Patent No. 2,402,211 dated June 18, 1946 for a Building Construction.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing :from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A wall board retainer element comprising an elongated leg portion, a U-shaped hook portion on one end of said leg portion, said hook portion having arm portions bent angularly relatively to said elongated leg portion and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to and interconnecting said arm portions, and a second leg portion bent relatively to said hook portion and extending substantially co-directional with said elongated leg portion.

.2. A wall board retainer element comprising an elongated leg portion, a U-shaped Vhook portion on one end of said leg portion, said hook portion having arm portions bent angularly relatively to said elongated leg portion and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to and interconnecting said arm portions, and a, shorter leg portion bent relatively to said hook portion and extending substantially co-directional with said elongated leg portion. l

3. A wall board retainer element comprising an elongated leg portion, a U-shaped hook portion on one end of said leg portion, said hook portion having arm portions bent angularly relatively to said elongated leg portion and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to and interconnecting said arm portion, and a shorter leg portion bent relatively to said hook portion and extending substantially co-directional with said elongated leg portion, the arm portions of said hook portion being disposed substantially at right angles to said elongated leg portion.

4. A wall board retainer element comprising an elongated leg portion, a U-shaped hook portion on one end of said leg portion, said hook portion having arm portions bent angularly and reversely relatively to said elongated leg portion and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to and interconnecting said arm portions, and a second leg portion bent relatively to said hook portion and extending substantially codirectional with said elongated leg portion, the arm portions of said hook portion being disposed at an acute angle to said leg portions.

5. A Wall board retainer element comprising an elongated leg portion, a U-shaped hook portion on one end of said leg portion, said hook portion having arm portions bent angularly relatively to said elongated leg portion and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to and interconnecting said arm portions, Aand a second leg portion bent relatively to said hook portion and extending substantially cri-directional with said elongated leg portion, said hook portion having intermediate arm portions bent substantially at right angles to said leg portions and end arm portions bent reversely at an acute angle to said intermediate arm portions.

6. A wall board structure for attachment to a building frame comprising spaced retainer elements having U-shaped hook portions on one end thereof hooked around members of said building frame and having elongated leg portions extending in spaced relationship thereto, each hook portions having arm portions bent angularh7 relatively to said leg portions and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to said arm portions, wall boards disposed in the space between said retainer elements and said building frame members, and flexible securing elements connecting said retainer elements with said frame members through the gaps between said boards, certain of said retainer elements having short leg portions engaging the surfaces of said boards adjacent said elongated leg portions and extending co-directionally therewith.

'7. A `wall board structure for .attachment to a building frame comprising spaced retainer elements having U-shaped hook portions on one end thereof hooked around members of said building frame and having elongated leg portions extending in spaced relationship thereto, each hook portion having arm portions bent angularly relatively to said leg portions and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to said arm portions, wall boards disposed in the space between said retainer elements and said building frame members, and flexible securing elements connecting said retainer elements with said frame members through the gaps between said boards, certain of said retainer elements having the arm portions of their hook portions bent at an acute angle relatively to their leg portions.

8. A Wall board structure for attachment to a building frame comprising spaced retainer elements having U-shaped hook portions on one end thereof hooked around members of said building frame and having elongated leg portions extending in spaced relationship thereto, each hook portion having armV portions bent angularly relatively to said leg portions and a bridge portion bent substantially perpendicular to said arm portions. wall boards disposed in the space between said retainer elements and said building frame members, and flexible securing elements connecting said retainer elements with said frame members through the gaps between said boards, certain of said retainer elements having the arm portions of their hook portions including intermediate arm portions bent substantially at right angles to said leg portions and end arm portions bent reversely at an acute angle to said intermediate arm portions` v PERCY SATTERLEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

